By D. R. DiFrancesco
~~~~~~
Black hair gone thin and gray
Creases like dry riverbeds map the landscape
Winding effortlessly south
Either due to age or gravity or both
Dark olive skin, soft tautness lost to the years
Tired eyes struggle to catch the light of day
Once clear as crystals now foggy and uncertain
Reminiscent of the mist that envelops San Diego Bay
Memories of youthful virility invoked smiles and stories
Tales etched with vivid language
Language and reference not correct in todays world
Friends and acquaintances identified by race, creed and color
Shocked and amazed erupting in uncomfortable laughter
A likely product of the prejudice thrown at your feet
First breath drawn at the turn of the last century
Born of a race not so easily accepted
Unkind names and slurs labeling an entire lineage
Times had changed leaving you behind
Floundering as if in seizure
Living in an era that was foreign
Still there was no shame, no offense or ill intention
No defense levied for your words and actions
None was needed, none was desired
Age and time granted societal clemency
Few were left who lived the history
Fewer still survive to remember
Relegation to the page is approaching with haste
Embrace them while the opportunity affords
Cherish the time shared and knowledge imparted
Passing it down to the generations that follow
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